Overview
A father seeks justice in a system that failed him, igniting a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- violent
- paranoid
- bleak
- late night thriller marathon
- crime movie night
What critics said
Critics generally agreed that the high-concept revenge premise and Gerard Butler's central performance were compelling, but found the execution illogical, excessively violent, and morally incoherent.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Clyde Shelton directs his retaliation beyond the original perpetrators toward prosecutors, officials, and the justice system.
Nick Rice's plea bargain and the consequences of improper procedure establish the justice system as a central source of conflict.
The film frames Shelton's grievance as understandable while depicting executions, murders, torture, and mass retaliation as increasingly extreme.
Shelton's attacks rely on tampered machinery, bombs, secret passages, and carefully planned retaliation that keeps investigators behind him.
Films like Law Abiding Citizen, and why
Death Wish
shares a vigilante revenge premise, institutional corruption, escalating thriller tension, and morally conflicted justice
The Brave One
shares a revenge-driven crime thriller structure, ruthless counterattack, and bleak moral atmosphere
Se7en
shares a high-concept revenge plot, procedural pursuit, and escalating battle between an investigator and an elusive adversary
The Shawshank Redemption
shares prison-centered criminal strategy, systemic injustice, and a calculating protagonist seeking retribution
Movie Details
- Director
- F. Gary Gray
- Release Date
- 2009-10-15
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (5870)
Cast
- Jamie Foxx
- Gerard Butler
- Colm Meaney
- Bruce McGill
- Leslie Bibb
- Michael Irby
- Gregory Itzin
- Regina Hall
- Emerald-Angel Young
- Brooke Stacy Mills
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, AMC, Netflix Standard with Ads, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Law Abiding Citizen about?
- A grieving father wages an ingenious and increasingly brutal campaign against the justice system that failed his family.
- What is Law Abiding Citizen like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Law Abiding Citizen as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Law Abiding Citizen violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Law Abiding Citizen as graphic.
- What did critics think of Law Abiding Citizen?
- Critics generally agreed that the high-concept revenge premise and Gerard Butler's central performance were compelling, but found the execution illogical, excessively violent, and morally incoherent.
- Which films are like Law Abiding Citizen?
- Films with a similar feel include Death Wish, The Brave One, Se7en, and The Shawshank Redemption.
- How long is Law Abiding Citizen?
- Law Abiding Citizen runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch Law Abiding Citizen?
- In United States, Law Abiding Citizen streams on Netflix, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, AMC, Netflix Standard with Ads, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel.
